Garage Door Springs

Measuring Coil Springs Properly Is Important

Exact garage door spring measurement is crucial for the proper opening and closing of the door. When it's time to replace the springs, the properties of the door are the basic determinants for their proper selection. Having an abstract idea of the length of the springs is insufficient information and that's why the assistance of “Garage Door Repair Belmont” is valuable. We know well that springs must have the strength to lift the door but also the right wire size and diameter. If short extension garage door springs are selected for your door, they won't cover the whole distance when they'll stretch and they'll either break or won't close the door.

We have experience with such measurements and definitely the right equipment. Measuring the springs is not as easy as it sounds. In some cases, springs must be removed in order to be measured accurately. In some other cases, they might be broken but still measurements must be exact. Safety measures are equally significant. Despite our own experience and knowledge of how to measure springs, we always wear safety glasses and surely disconnect and disengage the electric operator.

Learn how coil springs are measured

Measuring the length of springs is the first step. It will actually depend on the coils. They must be measured from one end of the coils to the other, but without including end parts, like cones in the case of torsion springs or end clips in the case of extension springs. In fact, torsion springs for 7 foot high doors will need about 7 extra coils and for 8 foot high doors there should be 8 or 9 more coils since they're useful when the spring winds. If the spring is broken, we measure the length of one broken part and then the other with the tape.

Knowing the inside diameter of the coil springs is also vital. This is measured with the tape from one end of the inner part of the coils to the other inner part of the coils. Sometimes, this can be difficult. When springs shrink or are really worn, the inside diameter is not measured easily. In this case, the diameter of the cone or clips will be helpful. Sometimes, measurements are indicated on labels or tags. The thickness of the coils is also important. The measurement must be written down in decimal numbers. We do have a chart we follow and usually when we count 20 coils measuring 5 inches, we divide 5:20 and this gives us the result. In this case, the thickness of the coil will be .250.

When it comes to extension coil springs, it's important to know the end of the spring. Is it an open or close loop? Is it a double closed loop or does it have a clip? For torsion springs, it's essential to know the wind. Left springs are used for the right side because their coils go clockwise. Right springs are used for the left side because their coils go counterclockwise. Such details are vital and we're certainly here to assist you. Call us!